Leonids 2026 · peak in 5 nights
Leonids 2026: peak night 17–18 Nov.
The Leonids are bits of Comet Tempel–Tuttle that hit the atmosphere at about 71 km/s, among the fastest meteors of the year. They’re usually a modest shower. The Leonids are active from 6 Nov to 30 Nov, peaking on the night of Tuesday 17 November. The Moon will be 56% lit and will wash out the fainter ones for part of the night (it sets at 23:29 in London).
The International Meteor Organization expects the regular maximum at about 23:45 GMT on Tuesday 17 November (one model gives 16:00 that day), with around 15 meteors an hour under ideal skies. The radiant in Leo rises around 23:00, so the hours after midnight on the night of 17–18 November are best.
Peak night, town by town
| Town | Look up after | Radiant highest | Moon | Cloud |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lerwick | 01:59 | 06:24 (51°) | sets 23:10 | 27% |
| Kirkwall | 02:04 | 06:29 (53°) | sets 23:21 | 28% |
| Inverness | 02:08 | 06:33 (54°) | sets 23:31 | 9% |
| Aberdeen | 01:56 | 06:21 (54°) | sets 23:23 | 18% |
| Edinburgh | 02:01 | 06:21 (56°) | sets 23:31 | 2% |
| Glasgow | 02:06 | 06:26 (56°) | sets 23:36 | 0% |
| Belfast | 02:14 | 06:34 (57°) | sets 23:46 | 1% |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 01:55 | 06:15 (57°) | sets 23:27 | 9% |
| York | 01:52 | 06:12 (58°) | sets 23:27 | 11% |
| Manchester | 01:59 | 06:14 (58°) | sets 23:33 | 1% |
| Birmingham | 01:56 | 06:11 (59°) | sets 23:34 | 32% |
| Norwich | 01:43 | 05:58 (59°) | sets 23:20 | 48% |
| Cardiff | 02:00 | 06:15 (60°) | sets 23:42 | 98% |
| London | 01:48 | 06:03 (60°) | sets 23:29 | 63% |
| Brighton | 01:46 | 06:01 (61°) | sets 23:30 | 100% |
| Plymouth | 02:03 | 06:18 (61°) | sets 23:48 | 99% |
UK time. “Look up after” is when the sky is dark and the radiant is 30° up. “Radiant highest” is the best single moment before dawn. Cloud is MET Norway’s average forecast for the dark hours of the peak night; check again on the day. Not listed? Search your town or postcode.
How many could you see?
Worked out for London’s sky at the best moment on the peak night (radiant 60° up), if the shower is at full strength then. These are best cases: haze, cloud, a less-than-perfect view and timing away from the peak all bring the numbers down, and this year’s predicted peak falls in UK daylight.
Uses the International Meteor Organization’s formula: rate = ZHR × sin(radiant height) ÷ 2.5(6.5 − faintest star you can see), with faintest stars of magnitude 6.5, 5.5 and 4.5. Getting away from streetlights makes the biggest difference.
Questions
What time should I look for the Leonids tonight?
Once it’s properly dark and the radiant (the point the meteors seem to come from) is well up. The table gives that time for each town. Rates usually climb through the night as the radiant gets higher, so the hours before dawn are often best, but any time after the “look up after” time is good.
How many Leonids will I see?
The “up to about 15 an hour” figure assumes a perfectly dark sky with the radiant overhead. Under real skies it’s far fewer: see the “how many” box above, worked out for London’s sky on the peak night. Moonlight and haze cut the numbers too.
Do I need a telescope or binoculars?
No. Meteors are fast and spread across the sky, so your eyes are the best tool. Lie back, look at a wide patch of sky and give your eyes 20 minutes to adjust. Keep your phone screen dim, and wrap up warm.
Which direction should I look?
Anywhere. Meteors appear all over the sky. Looking about halfway up, a little away from the radiant, often shows longer trails.
Will clouds spoil it?
They might. About a week before the peak this page starts showing the cloud forecast for each town on the peak night, and the card for your town shows tonight’s hour-by-hour cloud.